The Power of a Good Resolution
Behar
In the laws of transactions, the halacha is that a person is not able to transfer ownership of something that has not yet come into existence. This applies to gifts and sales alike. An example of this would be selling the fruits that my tree will grow. Such a sale will not be valid and has no obligation to act upon it.
The above only applies in mundane transactions.
When one transfers ownership to be consecrated to the Beis Hamikdash (Hekdesh) or as a pledge to Tzedaka, the laws are different in relation to something that has not yet come into existence. If one says that all of the fruits that their tree produces should be given to the poor, they are obligated to keep their word.
Even in this case no actual transaction has been affected. However, the pledge to Hekdesh or to Tzedaka becomes a binding oath that must be fulfilled when the fruits do come into existence.
Our sages teach that “I was created to serve my Creator”. The word used to describe Hashem is קוני. Literally this means “the One Who acquires me”. Serving Hashem is about making ourselves and lives acquired to Him by dedicating ourselves to Him.
Like the tree, we too have a Guf (body) and Peiros (produce). The body refers to our being; who we are - our body and soul. This includes our inner spiritual working of intellect and emotion and the capacity to express these in thought speech and action.
Our ‘fruits’ refers to the specific deeds that we do, either in thought, speech or action.
Kinyan Haguf means that we give ourselves over to Hashem completely, to the core of our very being. Not only our actions, but even our intellect and emotions, urges and impulses, are completely dedicated exclusively to Hashem. This is the Avodah that has been achieved by the Tzaddik, who has transferred their very being to be a possession of Hashem.
For those of us who still struggle with a Yetzer Hara, our Avodah is one of Kinyan Peiros. Even though we cannot vanquish our Yetzer Hara and transfer our being to Hashem, we are in control of our actions and behaviours. We can affect Kinyan Hapeiros.
This applies to the good deeds that we have already accomplished and given to Hashem. But what about the future?
The halacha that a person is not able to transfer ownership of fruits that have not yet come into existence teaches us that we cannot dedicate our future deeds with certainty that they will only for Hashem. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. Today I may be able to withstand my Yetzer Hara, but how can I be sure that I will be able to maintain this in the future?
This is where we come to the distinction between mundane transaction and pledges to Hekdesh.
The mundane aspects of our lives; our businesses, and other worldly affairs, are more connected to our physical body and animalistic side. The Torah requires us engage in these activities Lshem Shamayim, thereby dedicating these ‘fruits’ to Hashem.
Since these are activities of our physical side that our Neshama is trying to influence, any pledges and resolutions have no guaranteed outcome, as they are not entirely in the hands of our Neshama to fulfil and dedicate to Hashem.
In contrast, Torah and Mitzvos are innately holy. These aspects of our life are fruits that belong to the jurisdiction of our Neshama. The Neshama wants to fulfil them and dedicate them to Hashem and making a Hachlota will be affective.
Making a resolution for our future actions and fulfilment of Torah and Mitzvos is not transferring mundane ‘Peiros’, rather it is like making a pledge to Hekdesh, where a pledge can take affect even in relation to as-of-yet non-existent ‘fruits’.
Even then, it is still possible that the Yetzer Hara may interfere and obstruct. Therefore even these future ‘Peiros’ cannot be ‘transferred’ just by making the Hachlata. i.e. Making the resolution cannot guarantee its that it will be fulfilled.
However, since it is within the Neshama’s ability to achieve, the Hachlata can bind us to fulfil our word, to dedicate the future opportunities of Torah and Mitzvos when they arise in the future.
In this case, the Hachlata not only obligates us, but strengthens our commitment. The Hachlata gives us deeper strength, so that when the opportunity to fulfil the Mitzvah comes, if the Yetzer Hara does try to interfere, we have additional strength to overcome it and dedicate the ’fruits’ of another Mitzvah to Hashem.
The above only applies in mundane transactions.
When one transfers ownership to be consecrated to the Beis Hamikdash (Hekdesh) or as a pledge to Tzedaka, the laws are different in relation to something that has not yet come into existence. If one says that all of the fruits that their tree produces should be given to the poor, they are obligated to keep their word.
Even in this case no actual transaction has been affected. However, the pledge to Hekdesh or to Tzedaka becomes a binding oath that must be fulfilled when the fruits do come into existence.
Our sages teach that “I was created to serve my Creator”. The word used to describe Hashem is קוני. Literally this means “the One Who acquires me”. Serving Hashem is about making ourselves and lives acquired to Him by dedicating ourselves to Him.
Like the tree, we too have a Guf (body) and Peiros (produce). The body refers to our being; who we are - our body and soul. This includes our inner spiritual working of intellect and emotion and the capacity to express these in thought speech and action.
Our ‘fruits’ refers to the specific deeds that we do, either in thought, speech or action.
Kinyan Haguf means that we give ourselves over to Hashem completely, to the core of our very being. Not only our actions, but even our intellect and emotions, urges and impulses, are completely dedicated exclusively to Hashem. This is the Avodah that has been achieved by the Tzaddik, who has transferred their very being to be a possession of Hashem.
For those of us who still struggle with a Yetzer Hara, our Avodah is one of Kinyan Peiros. Even though we cannot vanquish our Yetzer Hara and transfer our being to Hashem, we are in control of our actions and behaviours. We can affect Kinyan Hapeiros.
This applies to the good deeds that we have already accomplished and given to Hashem. But what about the future?
The halacha that a person is not able to transfer ownership of fruits that have not yet come into existence teaches us that we cannot dedicate our future deeds with certainty that they will only for Hashem. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. Today I may be able to withstand my Yetzer Hara, but how can I be sure that I will be able to maintain this in the future?
This is where we come to the distinction between mundane transaction and pledges to Hekdesh.
The mundane aspects of our lives; our businesses, and other worldly affairs, are more connected to our physical body and animalistic side. The Torah requires us engage in these activities Lshem Shamayim, thereby dedicating these ‘fruits’ to Hashem.
Since these are activities of our physical side that our Neshama is trying to influence, any pledges and resolutions have no guaranteed outcome, as they are not entirely in the hands of our Neshama to fulfil and dedicate to Hashem.
In contrast, Torah and Mitzvos are innately holy. These aspects of our life are fruits that belong to the jurisdiction of our Neshama. The Neshama wants to fulfil them and dedicate them to Hashem and making a Hachlota will be affective.
Making a resolution for our future actions and fulfilment of Torah and Mitzvos is not transferring mundane ‘Peiros’, rather it is like making a pledge to Hekdesh, where a pledge can take affect even in relation to as-of-yet non-existent ‘fruits’.
Even then, it is still possible that the Yetzer Hara may interfere and obstruct. Therefore even these future ‘Peiros’ cannot be ‘transferred’ just by making the Hachlata. i.e. Making the resolution cannot guarantee its that it will be fulfilled.
However, since it is within the Neshama’s ability to achieve, the Hachlata can bind us to fulfil our word, to dedicate the future opportunities of Torah and Mitzvos when they arise in the future.
In this case, the Hachlata not only obligates us, but strengthens our commitment. The Hachlata gives us deeper strength, so that when the opportunity to fulfil the Mitzvah comes, if the Yetzer Hara does try to interfere, we have additional strength to overcome it and dedicate the ’fruits’ of another Mitzvah to Hashem.